Subject-Verb Agreement - Cheat sheet
Your last-minute revision companion for mastering Subject-Verb Agreement rules in Language Proficiency exams
Basic Agreement Rules
Important facts
- Singular subjects take verbs with -s (The flower smells good)
- Plural subjects take base form verbs (The flowers smell good)
- It is always the VERB that agrees with the SUBJECT, not the other way around
Key definitions
Subject-Verb Agreement
Example
The cat runs (singular) vs. The cats run (plural)
The grammatical rule that subjects and verbs must match in number (singular or plural)
Singular Subject
Example
The student studies hard
One person, place, thing, or idea that takes a verb with -s
Plural Subject
Example
The students study hard
Two or more persons, places, things, or ideas that take a base form verb
Compound Subjects
Important facts
- Subjects joined by 'and' = plural verb
- Subjects joined by 'or', 'nor', 'either...or', 'neither...nor' = verb agrees with nearer subject
- Exception: Compound subject referring to one person/thing takes singular verb (A mother and wife was here)
Key definitions
Compound Subject with AND
Example
Fruits and vegetables are important
Two or more subjects joined by 'and' are always plural
Compound Subject with OR/NOR
Example
Neither the teacher nor the children are ready
Verb agrees with the subject closer to it
Indefinite Pronouns
Important facts
- SINGULAR: each, either, neither, one, everyone, everybody, no one, nobody, anyone, anybody, someone, somebody, everything, nothing, anything, something
- PLURAL: both, several, few, many
- VARIABLE: all, any, most, none, some (depends on the noun they refer to)
Key definitions
Singular Indefinite Pronouns
Example
Everyone likes pizza, Each book has a cover
Always take singular verbs with -s
Plural Indefinite Pronouns
Example
Both have submitted, Several are coming
Always take plural verbs without -s
Variable Indefinite Pronouns
Example
Some of the pie was eaten (pie = singular), Some of the chips were eaten (chips = plural)
Can be singular or plural depending on what they refer to
Special Cases and Tricky Rules
Important facts
- Ignore phrases like: with, along with, as well as, together with, in addition to, including
- A number = plural verb, The number = singular verb
- One of the + plural noun = singular verb (One of the flowers has died)
- Amounts of money, time, measurement = singular verb (Fifty pesos was enough)
- Book titles, organization names = singular verb even if plural in form
Key definitions
Collective Nouns
Example
The team is winning (unit) vs. The team are arguing (individuals)
Can be singular (as one unit) or plural (as individuals)
Intervening Phrases
Example
The princess, along with 8 guards, has arrived
Words between subject and verb do not affect agreement
Inverted Sentences
Example
There are three gifts for you
Subject comes after verb; identify true subject first
Always Singular/Plural Nouns
Important facts
- ALWAYS SINGULAR: mathematics, physics, economics, civics, politics, news, measles, mumps
- ALWAYS PLURAL: scissors, pants, shorts, jeans, eyeglasses, pliers, tongs, tweezers, clothes
- ALWAYS SINGULAR MASS NOUNS: work, music, furniture, jewelry, homework, equipment, baggage
Key definitions
Always Singular in Meaning
Example
Mathematics gives me a headache
Nouns that look plural but are singular and take -s verbs
Always Plural in Form
Example
Your scissors are on the table
Nouns that are always plural and take base form verbs
Must remember
- Singular subjects take verbs with -s, plural subjects take base form verbs
- Subjects joined by AND are always plural
- With OR/NOR, verb agrees with the nearer subject
- Everyone, everybody, each, either, neither = SINGULAR verbs
- Both, several, few, many = PLURAL verbs
- All, any, most, none, some = depends on what they refer to
- Ignore intervening phrases (with, along with, including, etc.)
- A number = plural, The number = singular
- One of the + plural noun = singular verb
- There is/are: verb agrees with the subject that follows
Last minute tips
- Cover the words between subject and verb with your hand to identify the real subject
- If you see 'one of the', the verb is always singular
- For compound subjects with or/nor, look at the subject closest to the verb
- When in doubt with indefinite pronouns, think: can you count it? If yes, it's probably plural
- Mathematics, physics, news = singular despite the 's' ending
Comparison tables
Singular vs Plural Subject-Verb Agreement
| Subject Type | Verb Form | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular Subject | Singular subject | Verb with -s | The cat runs fast |
| Plural Subject | Plural subject | Base form verb | The cats run fast |
| Third Person Singular | he, she, it | Verb with -s | She writes poems |
| Other Pronouns | I, you, we, they | Base form verb | They write poems |
Indefinite Pronouns Classification
| Type | Pronouns | Verb Form | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Always Singular | each, everyone, somebody, nothing | with -s | Everyone has a book |
| Always Plural | both, several, few, many | base form | Both have arrived |
| Variable | all, any, most, none, some | depends on noun | Some water is cold / Some books are old |
Diagrams
Subject-Verb Agreement Rules Overview
Complete overview of all subject-verb agreement rules and categories
Subject-Verb Agreement Decision Process
Step-by-step decision tree for determining correct subject-verb agreement